St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-06-11
HOWARD'S LETTER.
AN OBSERvANT STROLL FROM THE
BATTERY TO CENTRAL PARK.

The Changes Wrought by Time-Land-
marks of the Past-Some Strange Trans
formations That Have Been Effected by
the Neyer-ending Push of Trade.
New York is at all times interesting.
No city in the world has SO magnificent
an approach. The bay and harbor of
New York are monumental for their con-
veniences, their safety and their beauty.
Across them in these days of intense heat
sweep refreshing breezes and healthful
winds. We land, say at South Ferry,
and are confronted Immediately by the
recent completed stone barge-house,
erected by the government for the con-
venience of the custom-house inspectors.
To the left of it stands Castle Garden,
which for many years has been utilized
by the commissioners of emigration as
landing place for immigrants, assisted"
and otherwise.
There is no need to 60 back to the
days of my boyhood when Grisi, Mario,
Julian and Herr kenig, the king of cor
netists, to whom Levy is just this side
of twin brother, were in their Prime;
nor vet further back when the old time
castle was separated from the island by
a rushing, streaming, tumultuous tide,
and when it was garrisoned by troops of
regulars, and made formidable by the
completest possible armament known to
the early days of this century. 1t forms
now part and parcel of the Battery, and
upon an area which in early days was
fringed upon the north by stately resi-
dences, the handsomest in the New York
of olden time. There our fathers and
forefathers walked and talked, made love
and fought, inhaled the salt breeze from
sandy beach, and found, after days of
laborious industry, way uptown" as far
as John, Cortland and Fulton streets, the
restful calm and peaceful repose of the
early evening hour.
To-day large part of it is occupied
by the hideous IL" road structure, upon
which are depots for cars, machine shops,
signal towers, places for linemeh and
watchmen, resting benches for con-
ductors and brakemen and enormous de-
pots or platforms for the convenience of.
the scores of thousands of passengers
who hurry, scurry, and skedaddle up and
down and all around from six o'clock in
the morning until long past midnight.
The Battery of old is gone. The Battery
of to-day is loafng place for
tramps; series of beats for pickpockets,
thieves and loafers of every description;
the wonderland of the freshly arrived
emigrants, and harvest field for the run
ners and bloodsuckers who lie in wait
for them. Its magnificent residences are
also things of the past to large extent. A
few of them remain, used by sixth-rate
boarding house keepers, but the sites of
nearly all are occupied by gin mills,
warehouses, steamship offices, with now
and then doctors shop. On the Bat
terry corner formerly stood the Wash
ington House, famed in local history as
the mansion where at one time the
father of his country had his headquar-
tiers. Of late years it was a third-class
hotel. Some time ago Cyrus W. Field
purchased it, pulled it down, and has
now built in its place one of the most re-
markable buildings in this city, which is
rapidly becoming noted for remarkable
buildings.
Between Battery corner and White
hall street, which leads directly to South
Ferry, is a row of old-time residences,
once occupied by the elite of the city.
Each is now rented to foreign steam
ship company, and in some of them
foreign cOnsulates have their official
habitation. On the other side of White
hall street is about finished the largest
edifice in the city devoted to mercantile
purposes. 1t belongs to the Produce
Exchange and has been thrown open to
that noisy and money-making body.
Immediately in front of the line of
residences referred to is the old-time
Bowling Green. When l was boy there
was a leaden statue of Liberty there
placed upon pedestal formerly graced
by a full-length statue of Queen Anne or
George III, [ don't know which. never,
saw it, and have forgotten whether it
was the King or the Queen. In one of
the stormy periods it was yanked from
its pedestal by exuberant patriots, and,
after battle or so, when the war of the
Revolution was decided in favor of the
colonists, Liberty statue was erected in
its place. There are, as in the Battery,
a few benches in this old-fashioned spot.
AS | passed it to-day every seat was
occupied by male or female, and every
occupant was fast asleep. The trees are
graciously permitted to grow there,
though precisely why the hand of the ICON
oclast did not long since swing the ak
to fell them is conundrum which mod
ern writers will find it difficult to an
swer. Not tree can be found between
that spot and the City Hall Park, with
the exception of those which ornament
the graveyard and shelter the tombs in
the Enclosure belonging to Trinity
Church at the head of Wall street.
Here we are at St. Pauls Church, the
head of Fulton street, Immediately oppo
site the Herald Office and in the triangle
bounded by the postoffice, the Astor
House and row of insignificant build
ings at the corner of Park Row and Ann
street. What is there, with the exception
of St. Paurs Church, to remind a man
over fifty wears of age of his b0vish NAV